A gardener's world from the hill on Ball Rd

Menu

Articles for the Month of March 2017

We’ve just had messy snowfall that has undone a lot of the progress that we had made toward Springtime. However, I will share a some of the flowers as they were before the snow, including the above lovely Pasque Flower which is about to show its purple flower in the new alpine bed.

Next to the Pulsatilla is this cute little Ornithogalum that flowers completely flat to the surface of the ground.

Ornithogalum fimbriatum

Ornithogalum fimbriatum

Also in the alpine bed is a new Corydalis

Corydalis shanginii ssp, ainae compact form

The hepaticas have continued to appear. Small little jewels.

Hepatica nobilis v. pyrenaica

Hepatica nobilis pink

Hepatica americana

Hepatica japonica red/white

Meanwhile the Adonis is still providing interest.

Adonis amurensis ‘Sandanzaki’ backside

And we planted the wonderful Primula vulgaris after visiting England in 2008. They are prospering in various parts of the yard.

Primula vulgaris under the apple tree

Meanwhile the first of the Glory of the Snow is starting to flower.

Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa)

These are happily growing in the yard and the pasture.

Finally in the yard and the woods the scilla are growing now.

Scilla siberica ‘Spring Beauty’

The stamens are a wonderful shade of blue.

It’s hard to ignore some of the lovely things happening in the greenhouse as well. In particular the ferrarias are now starting to flower.

We returned from traveling last week to find that the plants had been growing without us. I need to do just a little catch up on what we found on our return because some of the plants are truly special. The Adonis shown above is one of the best special varieties that you can buy for only a second mortgage on your garage. Some of the others might require selling your garage. This is the first year when it is clear that the clump is establishing itself and flourishing.

Adonis amurensis ‘Chichibu Beni’

It is truly spectacular.

Meanwhile the Adonis fujukaki is easily the most vigorous and visible of the Adonis clan. At least around here.

Adonis ‘Fukujukai’

Meanwhile another that I have been calling garden variety Adonis amurensis has impressed me once again with the brilliant shiny petals.

Adonis ‘Shiny Petal’

I’m not sure that it is the standard species at all. Note how it does not possess a normal number of stamens. I’ve got a couple of seedlings coming along and I think they were from this plant. We’ll see what happens.

Of course the one Adonis that originally caught my eye was Adonis amurensis ‘Sandanzaki’ which has this incredible lion’s mane of green feathers around the third series of petals. Totally unique.

Adonis amurensis ‘Sandansaki’

Lest I am accused of Adonis mania, I will also note that we have a Jeffersonia that blooms well in advance of its colleagues. And it is a standard Jeffersonia dubia with the violet petals, yellow stamens, and green ovary.

Jeffersonia dubia

But last year, my son gave me a special new Jeffersonia from Garden Visions that Darryl Probst brought back from Korea. It has dark stamens and a purple ovary.

Jeffersonia dubia ‘Dark Centers’

It’s quite different and seems to be lasting quite well.

Another plant that is early for its kinfolk is the Hepatica nobilis pink. Note the cute little stamens on these guys as well.

Hepatica nobilis pink

A pretty plant that shows up this time of year but never quite fulfills its potential is Helleborus thibetanus

Helleborus thibetanus

I have yet to get it to fully open to the camera.

Next to the greenhouse in a trough is a pretty little clump of Draba acaulis that seem to have suffered from last summer’s dryness.

Draba acaulis

And inside the greenhouse is another plant with remarkable colored stamens.

Scilla cilicica

Scilla cilicica stamens

These should be hardy outside and I need to give them a trial.

I had also promised more Moraeas and this is one.

Moraea vegeta

I also have an image to share of the fully open Enkianthus quinqueflorus.

Einkianthus quinqueflorus

Finally in the Alpine bed there was beautiful Fritillaria that was a distinctive showpiece.

With so much happening out of doors right now it would be easy to pass by some of the things happening in the greenhouse. At the back of the greenhouse I almost missed seeing the flowers of this lovely evergreen Einkianthus. I’m usually looking at the pots, especially when for what is just popping up from seed and I had already concluded there were no flower buds on this Einkianthus. Imagine my surprise when I saw this shrub has many flowers on it (the first time for us). Apparently the flowers follow the leaves. The drooping bells are much larger and prettier than the normal Einkianthus alatus, but the plant is probably not hardy here. We put the pot in the ground after last frost.

Einkianthus quinqueflorus

It is especially easy to miss the Moraeas since the flowers have very short duration. But the colors are marvelous from these little plants from the iris family.

Moraea macronyx

I don’t know if the torn petals were from normal wear and tear or some critter. But what was left is lovely. Wait till next year.

Two more stunning Moraeas follow.

Moraea tripetala ssp. tripetala

Moraea elegans

I should have more Moraeas over the next few weeks.

There are also several lachenalias in bloom.

Lachenalia unicolor

And a marvelous little ornithogalum.

Ornithogalum sp. (ex McGary PBS)

This one may be worth a try outside.

And another almost missed is this lovely hesperantha.

Hesperantha falcata showing unopened bud as well

On a hunch I went out to the greenhouse after supper and found the hesperantha was blooming although all the buds had been tightly closed at 3pm. Apparently this hesperantha specializes in serving the nighttime insects. How many of those we have in Maryland right now I’m not sure. I first grew this plant several years ago and then lost the parent but I had saved the seed and this is the first child of that mother plant. By the way all of these plants except the Einkianthus came from the Pacific Bulb Society‘s seed and bulb exchanges. It’s a marvelous source of botanical marvels. Besides opening at the night the Hesperantha falcata exudes a lovely scent to attract all of us late night flower hunters…